New Year's in Rio

Happy 2012!! So this past week has been so much better with the weather, been cool and raining almost all week. I better not get used to it though. haha That’s pretty crazy how hot it is there? Hope you guys get snow soon, another big drought wouldn’t be good.  Oh you can just send some pics when you send a package, but don’t worry about sending anything too soon. haha maybe after I receive all the ones I have waiting for me.  Glad you got the pictures though! I’m glad everyone is doing good! If you see Nick tell him hi. Tell Jordan congrats! Glad to hear about the BOM challenge! I have grown to love it so much more on the mission!! I’m glad you guys had fun for New Years though! I’ll say it was pretty insane here. Never seen anything like it. Anyways my PDay schedule is normal until 1030 then we buy stuff, email and do whatever until 6 when we proselyte again. Today we might just sleep cause we didn’t get much. haha. Thanks for all the advice though! Anyways this week we almost, almost had a baptism yesterday but she decided to wait til next week. Aparecida, and 15 year old girl of a part member family that we are teaching. It was interesting to see how at first she didn’t want to at all but after much testimony bearing and teaching she now wants to! I love seeing the change the gospel can make in people. We found about 11 new possible investigators this week and I will let you know what happens with them next week. About 6 are teenage guys, then some older adults. So in testimony meeting I bore my testimony yesterday! It was super scary because of the language, and super short but I’m still glad I did it and the ward was super nice! Things with the comp are pretty good!! I am learning more Portuguese, but I still have a lot to go. Anyways we got some pretty good work done this week until Saturday. Brazilians really know how to party, they put us to shame I think. They start lighting off fireworks the morning of the 31st and continue all day. All of the businesses shut down and everyone is just partying and usually drinking. I am really proud though because a recent convert that we visit often had a big problem with drinking didn’t drink at all on new years! Anyways another thing is everyone in the city buys fireworks, and these fireworks are mainly meant to make noise. So at midnight it literally sounded like ww3. haha Not a lot of sleep, but it was crazy to see the sky light up, and this wasn’t even near the beach where 2 MILLION people go. Amazing. haha and then yesterday everyone pretty much sleeps and then parties some more at night. We got no work done, but this week will be better. I am definitely starting to love the work and am really excited for when I can speak better. Haha so walking to the bus stop one day some guy comes up to me and gives me a full pineapple!! It was super random but delicious I have to say. Walking through the streets one day I realized how much potential people have, that is thrown away because of sin. Its saddening but only makes me want to work harder. Imagine what it would be like to live with the Nephites in their perfect society after Christ! To have no poor and only righteousness, It makes you just want to try that much harder to be good.  Anyways Thanks so much for all the Love and Advice! I hope you are all having a wonderful 2012! Have a bright hope for the future and make it the best year of your lives!! I love you all so much! Elder Ottosen